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14422Qualcomm's Toq Smartwatch Needs More Timehttp://allthingsd.com/20131226/qualcomms-toq-smartwatch-needs-more-time/
http://allthingsd.com/20131226/qualcomms-toq-smartwatch-needs-more-time/#commentsThu, 26 Dec 2013 14:00:33 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=381014As a kid, you might have dreamed of the day where you could own a smartwatch like the ones you used to see in old Dick Tracy comics, or on “The Jetsons.” Well, that day is here: Wearable wrist computers are finally a reality.

But they’re not quite ready for primetime yet.

Qualcomm is the latest company to join the likes of Samsung, Sony and Pebble in releasing a smartwatch this year. Qualcomm’s entry is called the Toq (pronounced “tock”), and it serves as a companion to an Android smartphone. It displays any notifications you might receive on your phone, provides access to weather and stock information, and allows you to perform a limited number of tasks, such as controlling your phone’s music player. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Gear, however, it does not have a built-in microphone, so you can’t use it to make phone calls, and there’s no integrated camera.

I’ve been testing the Toq with the Nexus 5 Android phone for the past week, and it performed its functions well. It also showcases some cool technology from Qualcomm (the company is best known for making the chips that go inside smartphones and tablets) that could be useful in future smartwatches, the most notable feature being the always-on display that’s readable even in sunlight, and doesn’t drain battery life.

But you do not want to buy this smartwatch. Not just yet, anyway. The Toq suffers from a bulky design with somewhat temperamental controls and limited functionality that doesn’t make it worth the hefty $350 price tag.

The first issue I encountered with the Toq was figuring out how to put the watch on (not a good sign). The Toq features a rubber strap that you actually have to cut with scissors in order to fit your wrist. Once cut, you insert a spring-loaded pin into the strap,and then attach it to the watch’s clasp. Then you can slip it on like you would a metal watch, and secure it by closing the clasp.

There’s a how-to video on Qualcomm’s site that walks you through the entire process, but it seems a little ridiculous that you even have go through all these steps for something that should be so simple. Plus, this means you can never readjust the size of the wristband — unless you want to go smaller.

Once on, the fit and feel of the Toq reminded me of various fitness watches and heart-rate monitors I’ve used in the past. It’s large and not very fashionable. At 3.2 ounces, it’s also heavier than the Pebble (1.34 ounces) and Galaxy Gear (2.6 ounces), but I found it generally comfortable to wear. The only time it really got in the way was when I was typing, since the clasp, which houses the watch’s battery, is rather bulky, and kept hitting the base of my laptop.

There are no physical buttons on the watch at all. Instead, there are sensors built into the watchband, right above and below the Toq’s display. Double-tapping the strap above the watch face turns on the display’s backlight, while a single tap below it brings up the watch’s main menu. You can then use the touchscreen to navigate between the different screens. There’s also a silver strip at the bottom of the display that you can use to cycle through the different watch faces.

Most of the touch controls worked fine, but there were numerous occasions where I had to repeatedly tap the watchband in order to find the right spot to activate the Toq’s main menu. I’d prefer having physical buttons, like the Pebble smartwatch, to avoid such situations.

The Toq’s 1.55-inch color touchscreen is one of the highlights of the watch. It uses Qualcomm’s Mirasol technology, which has similar benefits as an E-Ink display (namely, low battery consumption), but does so while offering color.

To be clear, the colors aren’t all that bright, and the screen isn’t as sharp as the Galaxy Gear’s display. But it was nice to be able to read the screen in all sorts of lighting conditions, even in bright sunlight. The only time I really had to use the backlight was at night.

The Toq works with any smartphone running Google’s Android operating system, version 4.0.3 or higher. You will also need to download the free Toq smartphone app from the Google Play Store.

I had no problems pairing the Toq with my Nexus 5 via Bluetooth, and the app provides a simple way to customize the appearance of the watch menus and manage what type of notifications I wanted to receive.

Once I set up all my preferences, the watch soon started vibrating to alert me to new text messages, emails, Twitter mentions and more. With text messages, I liked that I could respond by choosing from a list of preset replies, such as “I’ll text you back soon” or “In a meeting, will call you back later.” This was especially nice when I was on the go, since I didn’t have to dig through my purse to find my phone in order to reply. (You can also create your own quick replies using the Toq app.)

Beyond that, though, the watch is pretty basic in its functions. If there’s an incoming call, you can choose to ignore or answer it, but if you choose the latter, you’ll actually have to pick up your phone or use a Bluetooth headset. The rest of the notifications just serve as previews, and you can’t take any action from the watch itself.

I found battery life on the Toq to be decent, though not significantly better than some of the other smartwatches out there. I was able to go about four days before needing to recharge the Toq. My colleague Lauren Goode got about the same result with the Samsung Galaxy Gear.

The watch can be recharged wirelessly — another technology Qualcomm is touting, and, admittedly it looks pretty cool. It comes with a little stand where you can place the watch to juice up, though the accessory itself needs to be plugged into an outlet.

While there are some bright spots to the Qualcomm Toq, at this point, it’s much more of a demonstration of some of the technology that could power future smartwatches, rather than a viable product, so for the time being, save your money.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131226/qualcomms-toq-smartwatch-needs-more-time/feed/0They're Baaaack. Tabs Return to Yahoo Mail.http://allthingsd.com/20131219/theyre-baaaack-tabs-return-to-yahoo-mail/
http://allthingsd.com/20131219/theyre-baaaack-tabs-return-to-yahoo-mail/#commentsThu, 19 Dec 2013 19:15:53 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=380073 Multitasking > Tabs. In addition, there’s a new Preview All feature that will allow you to see all open tabs in a grid view. The absence of Tabs was just one of many complaints users voiced about the new Yahoo Mail, which launched in October.]]>Today, Yahoo announced that it is bringing back the popular Tabs feature to Yahoo Mail. Tabs, which allow you to multitask between reading and writing emails, will begin rolling out globally over the next few days, and can be enabled by going to View > Multitasking > Tabs. In addition, there’s a new Preview All feature that will allow you to see all open tabs in a grid view. The absence of Tabs was just one of many complaints users voiced about the new Yahoo Mail, which launched in October.
]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131219/theyre-baaaack-tabs-return-to-yahoo-mail/feed/0Sony PlayStation 4 Makes Right Play for Gamershttp://allthingsd.com/20131219/sony-playstation-4-makes-right-play-for-gamers/
http://allthingsd.com/20131219/sony-playstation-4-makes-right-play-for-gamers/#commentsThu, 19 Dec 2013 14:00:24 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=379838Every holiday season, there are always a few hot-ticket items that everyone clamors for, and this year, it’s pretty safe to say that the much-anticipated Xbox One from Microsoft and PlayStation 4 from Sony are at the top of a lot of people’s wish lists.

For gamers, it has been a long wait for these next-generation game consoles (Microsoft released the Xbox 360 eight years ago, and the PlayStation 3 debuted seven years ago), and some early adopters have probably already made their decision on which system to buy. But what about the rest of us, especially those who might be purchasing a console for the first time? Which one should you get?

To start, it’s worth noting that both companies have a pretty different view of what a console should be. For Microsoft, the aim of the Xbox One is to be the central hub for all digital living-room activities, including TV watching and streaming media. Meanwhile, Sony’s goal in designing the PlayStation 4 was to create the most powerful console for gamers.

My colleague Katie Boehret reviewed the Xbox One a few weeks ago, and she found that it offers a number of media and entertainment features that would appeal even to the non-gamer.

Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4

Meanwhile, I’ve been testing the PlayStation 4 for the past couple of weeks, and though it has some of those entertainment extras, it’s clear that gaming is the star of the show. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it’s the most powerful game console on earth, but it did its main job well, and with a simpler interface, sleeker design and cheaper price than the Xbox One ($400 versus $500).

Set-up was a breeze, and Sony includes all the essentials (power cord, HDMI cable) for hooking the console up to your TV. I don’t have a ton of space left in my media cabinet, so I really appreciated the PlayStation’s smaller size compared to the Xbox One. It can also be positioned horizontally or vertically.

You will need to log in to or sign up for a PlayStation Network account to access most of the console’s features, but it’s easy and free. I found navigating through the system’s menus to be intuitive and simple, especially compared to the Xbox One’s menus, which can be a little overwhelming. Also, as Katie mentioned in her column, using the voice commands to get around the Xbox One can be a frustrating experience.

You can use voice commands to launch games and navigate on the PlayStation 4, too, but it requires getting the PlayStation Camera, which costs $60. Since I was given one with my review unit, I gave it a whirl, but got mixed results. It had no problems understanding simple commands like “back” or “home screen.” But there were multiple times where I wasn’t able to start a game using my voice.

The camera can also be used to log in to your PlayStation account using facial recognition, which worked fine, and there are some cute augmented-reality games you can play with it. But since there aren’t a ton of features or games that utilize the camera right now, I wouldn’t say this is a must-have accessory.

Moving on to more fun topics, like gameplay. You can install games onto the console’s 500 gigabyte hard drive either via physical disc or by downloading them through the PlayStation Network. A subscription to PlayStation Plus, which ranges from $10 for a one-month membership to $50 for a one-year membership, is required if you want to play any multiplayer online games. It also offers you access to free games every month, online game saves, and more.

For my tests, I played a handful of titles, including the first-person shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall, a challenging puzzle game called Contrast, and my favorite, a space-shooter game called Resogun (I may or may not have played this for three hours straight).

I found game play to be smooth, and graphics looked great. I should also note that the DualShock 4 wireless controller was really comfortable to use. The analog sticks weren’t too loose or stiff, and the integrated speakers and rumble motors (which makes the controller vibrate to simulate certain actions, like explosions, on screen) enhanced the gaming experience. There’s even a Share button if you want to upload a video clip or screenshot to Facebook or Twitter or broadcast gameplay to Ustream and Twitch.tv.

My only complaint is that battery life wasn’t all that great. Sony says that the controller should last about 15 hours with constant use. But sometimes I had to recharge after about 10 to 12 hours.

Here’s the real downside to the PlayStation 4. First, if you own a PlayStation 3 or any previous generation console, you can’t play any of its games on the PlayStation 4. Second, there currently aren’t many games available for the console. There are 28 in total right now, with three being PS4 exclusives (Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack and Resogun), so that doesn’t give you a whole lot of choice.

To be fair, this isn’t a problem that’s limited to the PlayStation 4. The Xbox One also suffers from the same problem. And surely the game catalog will grow over time.

So what does the console have to offer besides gaming? Well, there are about 14 entertainment apps available for download, including Hulu Plus, Netflix, NHL GameCenter Live and NBA Game Time. The Xbox One’s app catalog is a little more robust, with options like YouTube, ESPN and HBO Go coming soon.

Sony includes its own streaming services like Music Unlimited (a subscription starts at $5 a month) and Video Unlimited, where you can rent and purchase movies and TV shows. The PlayStation 4 can also serve as a Blu-ray and DVD player. But unlike the Xbox One, there is no live TV integration.

So, returning to the question of which console to get: If you want a system that can be an all-in-one entertainment and gaming device, the Xbox One is the way to go. But if gaming is your first priority, the PlayStation 4 is a great package, and delivers on performance, though you should compare game catalogs before committing to either console.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131219/sony-playstation-4-makes-right-play-for-gamers/feed/0Nokia Lumia 2520: A Solid Windows Tablet in Need of Appshttp://allthingsd.com/20131212/nokia-lumia-2520-a-solid-windows-tablet-in-need-of-apps/
http://allthingsd.com/20131212/nokia-lumia-2520-a-solid-windows-tablet-in-need-of-apps/#commentsThu, 12 Dec 2013 14:00:09 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=378287When you hear the name Nokia, you probably think of phones. But tablets? Not so much.

That’s because the company has taken a wait-and-see approach to this category of mobile devices. Rather than rush out a product just for the sake of being able to say, “Hey, we have a tablet, too,” the Finnish cellphone maker decided to hold off until it could offer something that was different from the rest of the competition. And now the company finally thinks it has that in the Nokia Lumia 2520.

I’ve been using the Lumia 2520 over the past few days, and I’m generally impressed with Nokia’s first tablet. The Windows RT 8.1 device offers good battery life, speedy performance and 4G LTE connectivity, among other things. But it also comes with a number of caveats that make it hard to recommend outright — one of the biggest drawbacks being the limited app selection.

I’ll start with the positive stuff first, since we don’t need to get all Debbie Downer just yet.

One of the first things that attracted me to the Lumia 2520 was its design. The tablet measures 10.5 inches wide by 6.6 inches tall by 0.35-inch thick, and weighs 1.3 pounds, so it’s not small by any means. But, much like the Lumia smartphones, it has a seamless unibody design and rounded edges that help keep the tablet manageable.

Its main competitor, the Microsoft Surface 2, is bigger and heavier at 10.8 inches by 6.8 inches by 0.35-inch, and 1.49 pounds. But it also manages to pack in a USB port and built-in kickstand. There is an accessory case you can buy for the Lumia 2520 for $150 that lets you prop the tablet at an angle and includes a full keyboard and touchpad. It also provides up to five hours of extra battery life.

The Lumia 2520’s 10.1-inch touchscreen is a bright spot — literally. With a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, reading text and viewing videos was a delightful experience. I downloaded Pixar’s “Monsters University” from the Xbox Video store, and the display showed great detail along with bright colors. Like the Lumia 1520 phablet I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, this tablet also automatically adjusts the display’s brightness depending on the lighting conditions, and I had no problems seeing the screen, even while using it outdoors.

Being able to use the tablet everywhere is a huge draw of the Lumia 2520, and one of the ways Nokia tried to differentiate the tablet from its competitors. As such, the tablet offers 4G LTE cellular connectivity in addition to Wi-Fi. (The Surface 2 is Wi-Fi-only.) This gives you a lot more freedom in where you can use the tablet once you’re outside the boundaries of your home or office’s Wi-Fi network.

I own a Wi-Fi-only iPad, and it was nice to be able to take the Lumia 2520 with me on the go, and not have to worry about trying to find a cafe with Wi-Fi whenever I needed to check email or catch up on news. I’ll also be traveling for the Christmas holiday soon, and I can see it coming in handy while waiting at the airport (so many cute cat videos to watch, so little time). But that privilege also comes with the added expense of monthly data plans.

The Lumia 2520 costs $400 with a two-year contract on AT&T or Verizon, and data plans for the 32 gigabyte Verizon model I tested start at $30 per month for 4GB of data plus a $10 monthly line access fee. AT&T’s data plans start at $15 per month for 250 megabytes of data. Alternatively, you can pay $500 for the Lumia 2520 without a contract, and pay for a monthly data plan only when you need it. Meanwhile, the Wi-Fi Surface 2 costs $450 flat, and Nokia currently doesn’t have plans to offer a Wi-Fi-only Lumia 2520.

Still, for those who crave or need that always-on connectivity, the extra expense might be worth it, and the Lumia 2520 is a lot cheaper than some of the alternatives. The 32GB iPad Air with 4G, for example, costs $630 on contract with Verizon, and the 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 costs $500 on contract. But in going with the Lumia 2520 (and the same goes for the Surface 2), you give up the wide selection of apps available to the iPad and Android devices.

While I was able to find some of the more common big-name apps like Facebook, Twitter and Netflix in the Windows Store, there were plenty of missing titles. Pandora, Temple Run 2 and Rockpack (a Web video discovery and curation service) are several apps I frequently use on my iPad, and none were available for the Lumia 2520. Windows RT 8.1 also differs from regular Windows 8.1 in that it can’t run an array of traditional Windows programs like Adobe Photoshop or QuickBooks.

You do get the full RT version of the Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook. And Nokia includes some software extras, such as its Video Director app (for editing videos) and Nokia Music.

If you can get past these limitations, the Lumia 2520 does perform its duties as a tablet well. With a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the tablet felt very responsive and fluid.

Battery life was also solid. In my formal battery test, I turned off the 4G connection but left Wi-Fi on to retrieve email in the background, and then played a continuous video loop with the screen set at 75 percent brightness. With those settings, the Lumia 2520 was able to provide 11 hours of battery life. That’s about an hour and 15 minutes short of the iPad Air, but still plenty of juice to watch a movie on a cross-country flight.

In a more real-world setting, where I used the tablet with 4G to check email, social networks, browse the Web and work on documents, I could go a full day before needing to recharge.

With the Lumia 2520, Nokia has built a very attractive and solid Windows tablet that can give the Surface 2 a run for its money, as long as you’re okay with paying for a monthly data plan and working with a limited selection of apps.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131212/nokia-lumia-2520-a-solid-windows-tablet-in-need-of-apps/feed/0Uncovering a More Useful Android Lock Screenhttp://allthingsd.com/20131205/uncovering-a-more-useful-android-lock-screen/
http://allthingsd.com/20131205/uncovering-a-more-useful-android-lock-screen/#commentsThu, 05 Dec 2013 14:00:30 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=376820Nowadays, there’s a smartphone app for just about everything. Need to hail a ride? There’s an app for that. Need a game for your cat? There’s an app for that, too. But the more titles you have, the more cluttered your smartphone can get, making it difficult to quickly navigate to the app you want.

You can, of course, pin your most frequently used apps to the home screen, or organize them into folders. Some Android phones even allow you to add shortcuts to the lock screen. But what if your smartphone could automatically surface the apps you need the most throughout the day? After all, when you’re at work, you probably don’t need Netflix to be front and center, and when you’re home for the night, Google Maps doesn’t need to take up prime screen real estate.

That’s the goal behind Cover, a new Android lock screen app created by a team of former Google, Facebook and Yahoo engineers. Cover automatically changes the shortcuts on your lock screen based on whether you’re at home, at work, in the car or out and about. To do so, Cover learns (with your permission) which apps you use most during certain hours of the day, while taking your location into consideration.

I’ve been using the app on the Nexus 5 for the past week, and I found it to be efficient, slick and easy to use. When I was at work, it provided quick access to my email, calendar and documents. At home, it would serve up apps like Google Play Movies & TV, Instagram and Yahoo Fantasy Sports. I missed Cover’s functionality whenever I switched over to my iPhone 5.

I also like that Cover lets you preview new messages, Facebook updates and the like, without launching the full app. Beyond the lock screen, a task switcher allows you to easily move between apps. But, for now, Cover doesn’t offer much flexibility in rearranging apps, and not all of the features always worked correctly. For example, the app sometimes didn’t switch to car mode when I was traveling in a moving vehicle.

The team behind Cover is still working to get all the features right and add more functionality, which is why the app is currently only available via invite (you can sign up for one on Cover’s website). But the company hopes to open it up to everyone as a free app before Christmas.

When you first launch Cover, it asks you to enter your home and work address. Using Wi-Fi and cell towers to pinpoint your location, the app can then determine when to switch between Home, Work or Out mode based on whether you’re in or out of one of these zones. I found all of these features worked well, as the lock screen seamlessly changed modes every time I went to work or returned home.

Meanwhile, there are a couple of different ways that Cover determines when to turn on/off Car mode. One is if you have your phone connected to your car via Bluetooth. Whenever you get in your car, and your phone automatically connects to your car, the app goes into Car mode.

If you don’t have a Bluetooth system in your car, Cover then uses your phone’s gyroscope and accelerometer sensors to detect whether you’re moving at a certain speed in a single direction, so it can switch modes. The company says it uses this motion-sensing method rather than GPS in order to save battery life, but also admits that the technology is still experimental.

As I mentioned earlier, I had some problems with Car mode. I tested the app on a few car rides (none via Bluetooth), and Cover didn’t switch to Car mode on several occasions. Fortunately, the app makes it easy to manually change modes via a small pull-down menu in the upper-right corner of the lock screen. The company says that it is working to improve car detection.

Since Cover needs some time to learn which apps you use the most, it will initially populate the lock screen with six apps that make the most sense for each category. For example, for work, some of the initial apps that showed up on my Nexus 5 were email, calendar, Keep (Google’s note-taking app) and Google Drive. But after several days, it learned that I often use LinkedIn and Twitter during the work day, and added those to the mix.

All of your apps are listed vertically along the left side of the screen. You can also swipe up from the middle of the lock screen to access an additional six apps. To open any title, simply swipe left to right from the appropriate icon. A feature called Peek also allows you to quickly preview something, such as a new message or appointment request, by just pulling and holding the lock screen to the right. This way, you don’t have to fully launch the app, in case it’s something you can respond to later.

All of these actions worked smoothly, and it was nice to be able to launch apps in just a couple of moves. If you lock your phone using a PIN or pattern, you will need to enter that first before Cover will open an app. (These security features also disable the Peek functionality). Even so, it was still quicker than the iPhone 5 or Nexus 5 sans Cover, where I had to unlock the screen, enter my PIN, and then navigate to the right folder to launch an app.

Once you’re working in the app, Cover offers a multitasking function where you can swipe down from the upper-right corner to switch between apps. The first three in the tray are the most recently used apps, while the last three are contextual. While this was nice, I wish there was a way to access other apps. Similarly, it would be nice if Cover offered a little flexibility in customizing the app list. The company says it hopes to add this feature in the future.

Lastly, you might be concerned about privacy, since Cover monitors your activity and location, but the company has a number of security measures in place, including encrypting all your data and never storing your phone’s ID. You can read more about the security features in the company’s FAQ.

While Cover has some wrinkles to iron out, it provides Android users with a smart and sleek solution for getting the most out of your lock screen.

The Lumia 1520, which is available now from AT&T for $200 on contract, is Nokia’s first foray into the world of “phablets” — those hybrid devices that try to be both smartphone and tablet.

Till now, the largest screen to appear on a Windows Phone handset measured 4.5 inches. But the Lumia 1520 ups the ante with a six-inch full-HD display, which I found great for watching movies, reading text and even working on documents.

But, as one would expect, it also makes for a large device. Not Samsung Galaxy Mega big, but big enough that it’s cumbersome to hold and carry. Personally, I couldn’t imagine using this as my everyday phone, and it’s a bit too small to be my go-to tablet. And I’m not singling out the Lumia 1520. I feel the same way about other phablets, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and HTC One Max.

Left to right: iPhone 5, Nexus 5, Nokia Lumia 1520

That said, I know there is a segment of the population that want these big-screen smartphones, and the Lumia 1520 makes for a solid phablet. Aside from the large, sharp display, it also has a fine 20-megapixel camera, and offers fast performance and good battery life. Windows Phone still has a ways to go to catch up with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android mobile operating systems in terms of functionality and apps, but is making some strides with the recent addition of some big-name titles like Instagram and Vine.

When designing the Lumia 1520, Nokia said that in order to offer its customers the best range of devices, it couldn’t just jump from a 4.5-inch display to a five-inch display. It had to go bigger, and in doing research, the company found that six inches was the largest it could go while still being able to offer a device that could be used comfortably with one hand. But I didn’t really find that to be the case.

The Lumia 1520 measures 6.41 inches tall by 3.36 inches wide by 0.34-inch thick, and weighs 7.3 ounces. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Mega comes in at 6.6 inches by 3.46 inches by 0.31 inches and 7 ounces, and the HTC One Max is 6.48 inches by 3.25 inches by 0.41 inches and 7.7 ounces.

But even though the Lumia 1520 is smaller than the Galaxy Mega, and thinner and lighter than the One Max, I had a tough time wrapping my hand around the phone, and I really had to stretch to perform certain tasks using just one hand. Admittedly, I have small hands, so I handed the phone off to a couple of people with larger mitts than me, including my dad and brother. They had a slightly easier time using the Lumia 1520 one-handed, but they all commented on how strange it felt to hold up to the ear for phone calls.

Portability was also an issue for them. While I could simply throw it in my purse, carrying the phone around in a pants pocket was difficult. It either stuck out of a back pocket or made for a very snug fit in the front pocket (insert “Is that a phone in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” jokes here).

The extra-large, six-inch touchscreen was a draw, though. With a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080 pixels, images and text looked sharp, and colors were bright. While waiting for a flight at the airport, I used the Lumia 1520 to catch up on some episodes of “Friday Night Lights” (I know, I’m horribly late to this show) on Netflix, and afterward, I didn’t feel as much eye strain as I usually do when I’m watching videos on my iPhone 5’s four-inch screen.

I also had to zoom less when reading articles on the phone’s Web browser. That said, I felt like Samsung took better advantage of the larger screen, by adding such features as stylus support and multi-window view, which allows you to work in two apps side-by-side.

One nice thing about the Lumia 1520, though, is that it automatically adjusts the display’s brightness depending on whether you’re indoors or outdoors. As a quick comparison, I pulled up the same article on the Lumia 1520 and iPhone 5, and tried to read them outside on a sunny day. It was much easier to do so on the Nokia’s handset than on the iPhone.

Another area where Nokia is trying to differentiate itself from the competition is the camera. The Lumia 1520’s 20-megapixel camera doesn’t pack quite the punch that the Lumia 1020’s 41-megapixel camera does, but I was generally pleased with picture quality. It also comes with Nokia’s new Storyteller app, which aggregates photos based on when and where you took them, but I didn’t find it particularly exciting or groundbreaking. I was much happier to see that the popular photo-sharing app Instagram is now available for Windows Phone.

The Lumia 1520 runs the latest version of Windows Phone, which adds supports for three columns of tiles on the Home screen and faster processors, among other things. The phablet is using Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, and I found performance to be very smooth and responsive. While I didn’t conduct a formal battery test, I found that with moderate use I could go a full day before needing to recharge.

Call quality was also good. I made several phone calls in San Francisco and the Washington, D.C., area on AT&T’s network, and the audio was clear. But, given the Lumia 1520’s large size, I did have to adjust the phone a couple of times so I could get the earpiece in the right place to hear my friends.

For those craving big screens, Windows Phone now has a device to compete with the growing list of Android phablets. As long as you’re okay with the smaller selection of apps, the Lumia 1520 offers solid performance and a good camera for about $100 less than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131128/nokia-lumia-1520-marks-giant-leap-in-screen-size-for-windows-phone/feed/0Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom: Nice Camera, Clunky Smartphonehttp://allthingsd.com/20131121/samsung-galaxy-s4-zoom-nice-camera-clunky-smartphone/
http://allthingsd.com/20131121/samsung-galaxy-s4-zoom-nice-camera-clunky-smartphone/#commentsThu, 21 Nov 2013 14:00:35 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=373995Professional photographer Chase Jarvis popularized the phrase, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” For many of us nowadays, that camera is our smartphone, and it’s easy to see why.

Smartphones let you instantly share memories with family and friends. They make for one less gadget to carry. And the imaging technology in phones is getting good enough to replace traditional point-and-shoot cameras. But even so, there are still a few areas where digital cameras hold an advantage, with zoom being one of them.

Samsung is looking to address that issue with its Galaxy S4 Zoom. Available now from AT&T for $200 with a two-year contract, the Android-based smartphone features a 16-megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom. But before I go any further, it might be helpful to know the difference between digital and optical zoom.

Digital zoom is what’s used on most camera phones today. Right now, when you take a photo with your smartphone, you probably use the pinch gesture or onscreen controls when you want to zoom in on a subject. This action crops and enlarges the photo and is done through software.

On the other hand, digital cameras use optical zoom where the lens physically moves to get closer to a subject. The advantage here is you get better image quality, whereas digital zoom degrades it, since it magnifies the pixels in a picture. But it’s difficult to pack an optical zoom into a phone without making it clunky, and the Galaxy S4 Zoom proves that point. Bottom line: Don’t go ditching your camera or current phone just yet.

Just how big is the Galaxy S4 Zoom? In all, the smartphone-camera hybrid measures 4.94 by 2.5 inches by 1.06 inches and weighs 9.9 ounces. No one would ever accuse the Nokia Lumia 1020 of being a miniscule phone (the handset measures 5.1 by 2.8 by .40 inches and weighs 5.5 ounces), but at least it’s slim and generally flat.

Meanwhile, the protruding lens and handgrip on the back of the Galaxy S4 Zoom makes it difficult to carry in a pants pocket, and makes it unwieldy as a phone.

To test the camera features, I took the Galaxy S4 Zoom and my iPhone 5 with me on a day trip to Point Reyes National Seashore over the weekend, which offered plenty of photo opportunities.

For example, during a cliffside hike on the Chimney Rock Trail, I could see some elephant seals sunbathing on the beach below. From where I stood, they looked like brown blobs, but using the Galaxy S4 Zoom, I was able to zoom up to 10 times and got a clear shot of the sleeping creatures. (By the way, have you ever heard an elephant seal snore? It’s pretty hilarious.) Without moving positions, I took the same photo using the iPhone 5, but I wasn’t able to crop in as close, and the details were not as sharp.

Similarly, on the hike back to my car, I saw a deer about 50 feet away from me. With the Galaxy S4 Zoom, I was able to zoom close enough to capture some of the details on the deer’s face. With the iPhone, I could really only make out the silhouette of the animal.

To zoom, you can adjust the camera lens ring on the back of the device, but it’s quicker and easier if you use the onscreen controls. That said, I felt like Samsung could have streamlined some of the controls and features better.

My new friend. Taken with the Galaxy S4 Zoom.

For example, I wish there were a way to program the volume rocker to act as zoom in/out buttons when in camera mode. Also, while there is a dedicated camera key, you can’t use it to launch the camera app unless the phone is unlocked. As an alternative, you can place a shortcut to the camera on the lock screen.

Samsung’s camera app offers plenty of editing tools and shooting modes. There’s Automatic mode where it automatically chooses the best settings for you. Most of the time, I just kept the camera in Automatic mode, and I was happy with the outcome. Pictures looked clear, and colors were generally accurate and bright. You can check out some of the photos I took in the gallery below.

If you know your way around a camera, you can switch to Expert mode, and manually change things like ISO, exposure and shutter speed. The Galaxy S4 Zoom also has a function called Smart mode, which offers presets for different picture types, such as sunset, fireworks and food. I played around with a bunch of these, and found they worked pretty well.

The Macro setting allowed me to capture close-up details of some flowers. I also used Night mode to capture some street scenes of San Francisco at around seven in the evening. And while the Galaxy S4 Zoom delivered clearer and more detailed pictures than my iPhone 5, I thought the Nokia Lumia 1020’s 41-megapixel camera offered better low-light performance.

One other note about the Lumia 1020: Though it doesn’t have optical zoom, the phone offers technology that allows you to zoom in on an object up to three times at high resolution. And as my colleague Lauren Goode pointed out in her review, she didn’t notice any pixelation or loss of detail when using zoom.

As a phone, the Galaxy S4 Zoom’s feature set lines up with other midrange Android phones. It’s running Android Jelly Bean version 4.2 (the most current version is KitKat 4.4), has a dual-core processor and 16 gigabytes of internal memory with a microSD expansion slot.

In general, I thought the Galaxy S4 Zoom performed smoothly, and call quality was clear. I didn’t do a formal battery test, but with moderate use, I was able to go through a full workday before needing to recharge. I did notice, however, with heavy camera use, the battery drained a lot quicker.

While the phone’s optical zoom allowed me to capture several images I wasn’t able to get with my iPhone 5, it comes at the expense of a bulky design that makes it awkward to use as phone. For most people, the trade off of usability for some better-looking photos isn’t going to be worth it. Only those who want high-end camera features in their mobile device should consider the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Even then, there are better alternatives, like the Nokia Lumia 1020.

The deer was about 50 feet away when I captured this photo using zoom.

Another photo taken with zoom.

Point Reyes Lighthouse.

All Things Digital's photo

Point Reyes shipwreck.

Shot using night mode.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131121/samsung-galaxy-s4-zoom-nice-camera-clunky-smartphone/feed/0Haiku Deck Expands Its Anti-PowerPoint Presentation App to the Webhttp://allthingsd.com/20131121/haiku-deck-expands-its-anti-powerpoint-presentation-app-to-the-web/
http://allthingsd.com/20131121/haiku-deck-expands-its-anti-powerpoint-presentation-app-to-the-web/#commentsThu, 21 Nov 2013 14:00:06 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=374166The only thing that might be more painful than sitting through a PowerPoint presentation is creating a PowerPoint presentation. But Seattle-based startup Haiku Deck doesn’t think the task has to be such a bore or a chore.

The goal behind Haiku Deck is to give people an easy-to-use tool for creating presentations that are beautiful, simple and engaging — not slide after slide of bullet points, clip art and flash animations.

Haiku Deck first launched as an iPad app in August 2012 and now, the company is looking to expand its reach with a new, free Web app. It’s currently rolling out in private beta and only optimized for Chrome and Safari. But the company said it will continually add more functionality, including support for more browsers, and new users each week.

Like the iPad app, the Web version offers various themes, slide types and access to more than 35 million Creative Commons images. It will also have tools for creating charts and graphs, and an option to purchase premium content from Getty Images, though these features will be rolled out at a later time. Presentations can also be synced to the cloud, so you can start working on a deck on your iPad and then pick up where you left off on your computer or vice versa.

Haiku Deck co-founder and CEO Adam Tratt said the idea for the app came out of his own frustration with using PowerPoint.

“Our company belief is that story telling and sharing ideas is one of the most amazing things we get to do as humans, so it’s a shame that for people who work in an office, doing so comes down to this dreadful experience of using a tool that’s reviled,” said Tratt in a phone interview.

Since the company launched Haiku Deck over a year ago, the app has been downloaded more than 800,000 times, and it has seen 30 percent growth in active users for the past two months. Continuing to grow its user base remains a top priority for the startup (an Android version is on the radar), but Tratt knows there’s a certain segment of the audience that will stick to PowerPoint or Keynote (Apple’s presentation software).

“At the very tip top of the iceberg, you’ve got people making important presentations to give to investors, bosses, etc. We’re not going after the top of the iceberg,” said Tratt. “We want to go after the segment of people making everyday presentations, whether it’s socializing an idea at a team meeting or a small business owner wanting to look good for a new client. And the fact that it’s working is a delightful David-and-Goliath outcome.”

Going forward, the company is looking at adding such features as collaboration tools, greater customization and premium packages for businesses.

In April, Haiku Deck secured $3 million in Series A funding from investors Trilogy Equity Partnership, Madrona Venture Group, Founder’s Co-op and others.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131121/haiku-deck-expands-its-anti-powerpoint-presentation-app-to-the-web/feed/0Nokia Lumia 2520 Coming to AT&T November 22http://allthingsd.com/20131115/nokia-lumia-2520-coming-to-att-november-22/
http://allthingsd.com/20131115/nokia-lumia-2520-coming-to-att-november-22/#commentsFri, 15 Nov 2013 14:25:56 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=372954Nokia announced today that its first Windows tablet, the Lumia 2520, will be available from AT&T starting Nov. 22. The 10-inch Windows RT 8.1 tablet will cost $400 with a two-year contract, or $200 if purchased with the Lumia 925, Lumia 1020 or Lumia 1520 smartphone. Introduced last month, the Lumia 2520 features Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity, a full-HD display that promises better outdoor readability and 32 gigabytes of internal memory, plus a microSD expansion slot. The tablet is also expected to be available from Verizon, but no word on pricing or release date yet.
]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131115/nokia-lumia-2520-coming-to-att-november-22/feed/0Five Tips for Getting Started With Windows 8.1http://allthingsd.com/20131114/five-tips-for-getting-started-with-windows-8-1/
http://allthingsd.com/20131114/five-tips-for-getting-started-with-windows-8-1/#commentsThu, 14 Nov 2013 14:00:03 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=372686Change is always hard. We get accustomed to doing things one way, and when something comes along to mess that up, our natural reaction is to revolt.

It’s no surprise, then, that Microsoft didn’t get the warmest reception when it released Windows 8 last year. Designed to be an all-in-one operating system for both PCs and tablets, Windows 8 was a stark departure from previous versions of the OS, and required a steep learning curve that involved juggling between two interfaces and giving up some familiar favorites like the Start button, among other things.

To address some of those issues, last month Microsoft released Windows 8.1. The update brings a series of tweaks and new features that generally make the OS better — though, if you found Windows 8 confusing, you still will in this new version. But, since this is the future of Windows-based machines, it might be time to learn some of the ins and outs of the OS. To help you out, I’ve outlined some tips for using Windows 8.1.

One note before getting started: Windows 8.1 is available as a free download to Windows 8 users. Those with older versions of Windows will have to pay $120 to upgrade, and their machines have to meet the minimum system requirements. If you fall into the latter group, it might be better to hold off until you need to upgrade your hardware.

Make It Personal

When you first boot up Windows 8.1, you won’t notice a huge difference between the latest update and Windows 8. You still get the tile-based Start screen, but it’s a lot more customizable than the previous version.

For example, you can now change the background image by accessing the Charms menu (to do so, swipe in from the right side of the screen, or point to the lower- or upper-right corner if you’re using a mouse), selecting Settings, and then Personalize. Meanwhile, right-clicking or doing a long-press on a tile brings up options to resize it (large, wide, medium or small), remove it from the Start screen, and more.

A quick swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or clicking on the down arrow in the bottom-left if you’re using a mouse) also brings up a view of all your Apps. You can make this your default Start screen by swiping in from the right side of the screen, selecting Search, and then typing “Taskbar.” From there, select the Navigation tab, and then check the box that says, “Show the Apps view automatically when I go to Start.”

For those who aren’t ready let go of the past just yet, Windows 8.1 now gives you an option to boot directly to traditional desktop mode. The setting is hard to find, though, so be sure to check out my colleague Walt Mossberg’s explainer on how to enable that feature.

A New Start (Sort Of)

One of the more welcome features is the return of the Start button.

When you switch to desktop mode, you’ll find it in the bottom-left-hand corner, but it doesn’t function in exactly the same way as before. Tapping or clicking will simply return you to the modern tile-based Start screen, rather than launching the traditional Start menu.

If you right-click on it or do a long press, however, you’ll get a pop-up window that provides access to tools like the control panel, task manager and shutdown/restart. There are also other utilities, including Programs and Features, where you can uninstall or change desktop apps and Power Options for customizing your battery settings.

Multitasking Using Snap View

Windows 8 already offered a function called Snap View that allowed you to view two apps at once, but the screen was split so that one app took up a majority of the room, while the other only took up about a third of screen space. This made it difficult to see or interact with anything in the smaller window. But with Windows 8.1, you can now split the screen to your liking.

To begin, start by opening an app from the Start screen or the Apps-view screen. Next, slide your finger from the top of the screen down to about the middle of the display, or until the app window shrinks. Then move the app to either the left or right side of the screen.

Afterward, you can return to the Start or Apps screen to open your second app, and it will automatically appear next to the first app. By default, Snap View splits the screen in half, but you can change that by dragging the black bar that separates the two apps to the right or the left.

Depending on your screen’s resolution, you can have up to four apps open at once.

Changing Default Apps

Naturally, Microsoft would love for you to use its native apps (Internet Explorer, Xbox Music, and so forth) for all your tasks, but if you have a preference for a certain Web browser, email client or mapping app, Windows 8.1 will allow you to set them as your default.

To do so, open the Charms menu, select Settings, and then Change PC Settings. Next, click on Search and Apps, and choose Defaults at the bottom of the list. Here you can select which apps you would like to use for Web browsing, email, music, video, photos, calendar and maps.

Turn a Website Into an Xbox Music Playlist

I thought I’d end with a fun one. Windows 8.1 offers a pretty nifty feature that allows you to create a playlist in Microsoft’s music app, Xbox Music, based on a website. Yes, you read right — a website.

Just visit any page that talks about music or musicians (for example, I went to hip-hop site Okayplayer.com), open the Charms menu, select Share, and then Music. After a couple of minutes, you’ll see a playlist created based on artists or songs mentioned on the website. Give the playlist a name and tap Create Playlist, and the next time you open Xbox Music, you’ll find it saved under the playlist section.

Windows 8.1 might still have some fundamental problems — it’s still very much geared for touch devices, and the number of Windows 8 apps needs to grow — but the update brings some nice improvements. And if you plan on continuing to live in a Windows world, you will need to learn the new OS at some point, so you might as well start now.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131114/five-tips-for-getting-started-with-windows-8-1/feed/0Android KitKat Update Rolling Out to Wi-Fi Nexus 7, Nexus 10http://allthingsd.com/20131113/android-kitkat-update-rolling-out-to-wi-fi-nexus-7-nexus-10/
http://allthingsd.com/20131113/android-kitkat-update-rolling-out-to-wi-fi-nexus-7-nexus-10/#commentsWed, 13 Nov 2013 16:26:43 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=372409Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 owners are in for a sweet treat today. Google announced this morning that it has begun rolling out the latest version of its mobile operating system, Android 4.4 KitKat, to the tablets. But the software is only bound for the Wi-Fi models for now. Google says the cellular Nexus 4 and 7 will get the update “soon.” Revealed last month, KitKat offers several new features, including a more immersive design and a revamped phone app.
]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131113/android-kitkat-update-rolling-out-to-wi-fi-nexus-7-nexus-10/feed/0Latest Asus Hybrid Blends Power, Stamina for Bargain Pricehttp://allthingsd.com/20131107/latest-asus-hybrid-blends-power-stamina-for-bargain-price/
http://allthingsd.com/20131107/latest-asus-hybrid-blends-power-stamina-for-bargain-price/#commentsThu, 07 Nov 2013 14:00:51 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=371027For this week’s review, I test-drove a convertible. Not the kind where I can put the top down and feel the wind blowing through my hair as I drive down the Pacific Coast Highway (I wish!). I’m talking the kind that has often led to frustration after trying to use a machine that aims to be both a laptop and a tablet, and succeeds at being neither. But that doesn’t mean you should dismiss the entire category, and the Asus Transformer Book T100 is a good example of why to consider a convertible.

The T100 features a detachable design that allows you to convert the 10-inch Windows 8.1 tablet into an ultra-portable laptop by attaching the included keyboard. In that sense, it’s not all that different from some of the other hybrids on the market, like the $650 HP Envy x2. And there are still some trade-offs that come with the convertible design. For example, the keyboard is cramped and the touchpad is stiff, so it’s not as comfortable to use as a regular laptop. But there are several things that make the T100 stand out.

For one, the tablet is fast and delivers long battery life that’s almost comparable to the new iPad Air. This is in large part due to Intel’s latest processor, called Bay Trail, which was designed to improve tablet performance and battery life, while keeping prices low. Which brings me to my next point.

The T100 starts at $349 for the 32 gigabyte version (a 64GB model is also available for $399), and includes the keyboard dock and a copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013, which usually goes for $140. That’s a great value, especially when compared to the Microsoft Surface 2, which starts at $449, runs a stripped-down version of Windows 8.1 and doesn’t include a keyboard. Meanwhile, the 32GB iPad Air costs $599.

For these reasons, and despite its flaws, the T100 is worth a look.

Of all various form factors, I’m glad Asus chose to go with the detachable design, since you can remove the keyboard with the press of a button to have a more comfortable tablet experience. There are other devices like the Dell XPS 12 and Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 where the keyboard tucks underneath the machine, but that makes for a bulky tablet.

The T100 tablet measures 10.4 inches wide by 6.7 inches tall and 0.41 inch thick and weighs 1.2 pounds. The weight and thickness is nearly doubled when the keyboard is attached, but it’s still easy to carry in a backpack or larger purse. That said, I didn’t love the slick plastic back, and the machine can be a little top heavy when used as a laptop, though it never toppled over when I placed it on my lap or on a desk.

The T100’s touchscreen measures 10.1 inches and has a resolution of 1,366 by 768 pixels. It’s not the sharpest available, but I still found it clear and bright enough for viewing movies and photos and reading text. There’s a 1.2-megapixel Webcam just above the display, but no rear camera.

The bigger issue is the T100’s keyboard dock. The touchpad is stiff, and the keys are narrow and cramped so the typing experience isn’t all that comfortable. I became more accustomed to it over time, but for the first couple of days, I was constantly fixing typos and overreaching for the backspace button. Still, it’s nice to have the keyboard option included in the price of the tablet, and it came in useful when I had to write longer emails and work on documents like this column.

Most of the T100’s ports are located on the tablet itself (microUSB, micro HDMI, microSD expansion, headphone jack). The dock also offers a USB 3.0 port. But unlike some keyboard docks, the T100’s doesn’t provide extra battery power. That’s not a huge deal since the tablet should have enough power to last a full day.

In my harsh battery test, where I set the screen to 75 percent brightness, turned off all power-saving features and left Wi-Fi on to retrieve email in the background while continuously playing a video, the T100 lasted 11 hours and 15 minutes before going dark. That’s not quite as good as the iPad Air’s 12 hours and 13 minutes, but still impressive.

The T100 ships with Windows 8.1, which is the latest update to Microsoft’s operating system. The new version brings a number of improvements and enhancements, such as the return of the Start button, universal search and better multitasking. But as my colleague Walt Mossberg pointed out in his Fall Laptop Buying Guide, if you found Windows 8’s dual interfaces to be confusing the first time around, you still will with Windows 8.1.

Aside from Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote but not Outlook, Asus preloads the tablet with a couple of proprietary apps, such as its WebStorage cloud service. There’s also a link to the Windows Store where you’ll find more than 100,000 Windows 8 apps. While Microsoft has grown its app store pretty quickly, it still trails behind Apple, which offers more than 475,000 iPad-optimized apps and a million apps in total.

The T100 felt very responsive during my testing. Apps launched almost instantaneously, and the tablet handled everyday tasks with no problem. Streaming TV shows and movies from services like Netflix was smooth, and the tablet’s stereo speakers pumped out an impressive amount of sound. But the graphics performance was a little jagged when I tried playing the video game Borderlands 2 via Steam.

Overall, the Asus Transformer Book T100 is a capable tablet that can fill in as a productivity device for an affordable price. If you’re in the market for a Windows 8 tablet, the T100 should definitely be on your short list.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131107/latest-asus-hybrid-blends-power-stamina-for-bargain-price/feed/0New E-Book Services Borrow a Page From Netflixhttp://allthingsd.com/20131031/new-e-book-services-borrow-a-page-from-netflix/
http://allthingsd.com/20131031/new-e-book-services-borrow-a-page-from-netflix/#commentsThu, 31 Oct 2013 13:00:32 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=369349If you’re a voracious reader, you know that keeping up with your habit can get expensive, whether you’re buying physical books or e-books. The public library makes for a good alternative, but sometimes there’s a waiting list for a title. And if you’re looking for a digital version to borrow, your options are limited. But what if you could instantly access an unlimited number of books right on your smartphone or tablet every month, for about the price of a paperback?

That’s the sales pitch for two new e-book subscription services I’ve been testing, called Oyster and Scribd. Frequently described as a “Netflix for e-books,” these services allow you to read as many books as you want for a monthly fee. Oyster costs $9.95 per month, and Scribd is $8.99 per month.

To make it worth the cost, the services must have a good selection of content, and that’s something both companies are working on. Oyster currently offers more than 100,000 in-copyright books from hundreds of publishers, including HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Melville House and Rodale. Scribd’s catalog also includes more than 100,000 titles, from the likes of HarperCollins, Workman, Rosetta Books and Kensington.

In the grand scheme of things, that’s really not a lot of books, and both services are still missing works from four of the five big publishing houses (Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster), though they say they’re constantly updating their library with new content. I have a long list of titles on my reading wish list, such as Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One” and Susan Casey’s “The Wave,” and I was only able to find a couple of them on Oyster and Scribd.

But that doesn’t mean I was lacking for reading material — quite the opposite, actually. Both services had a nice range of current and older titles, and the curated sections and categories were a great way to discover new books.

Oyster and Scribd said their services are designed for anyone and everyone, but I think they’re best suited for avid readers, since it can save them money in the long run. For those who read one or two books a month, it might not be worth the monthly commitment.

Of the two, I enjoyed Oyster’s user experience better, but the downside is that the app is currently only available for Apple devices running iOS 7. The company said an Android app is in the works for next year.

I downloaded the dedicated iPad app, and it’s beautiful and easy to navigate. At the top, you’ll see your most recent books, and the app allows you to store up to 10 books offline, so you can read them even if you don’t have an Internet connection. Below that, there are curated sections, such as Oyster’s Picks, Chillers and Cliffhangers, and Sports Culture, and you can tap on each book cover to get more details, such as a synopsis and related content.

You can also search for books by title, author or keyword, using the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner. There you’ll also find more general categories, like Fiction and Literature, Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and History.

I tried looking up some books that I’ve been wanting to read, but wasn’t very successful. Instead, I ended up perusing the different sections looking for reading material, which is what I often do when I have time to go to a physical bookstore.

“Beautiful Boy” by David Sheff, Charles Bukowski’s “Ham on Rye” and John Reed’s “Snowball’s Chance” are just three of the titles I added to my reading list.

Oyster keeps the reading experience pretty simple. There aren’t any fancy animations when turning pages. Instead, you can swipe up or tap on the screen to advance to the next page. You can also adjust the font size and background theme.

There’s a social aspect, too. You can find and follow friends using Oyster via Facebook, Twitter, or your contact list, to see what they’re reading and vice versa. But I appreciate that this feature isn’t forced on you. There’s even a “Read Privately” option, in case you don’t want something published to your public feed.

Scribd, which first began as a document-sharing service, works very similarly to Oyster. The company offers an iOS and Android app. But, even better, you can access your library on almost any device or platform simply by logging into your account via a Web browser. For my tests, I used the iPad app.

The main page provides a long stream of curated lists and categories. Compared to Oyster, I thought Scribd offered some more interesting and specific topics, like Noir and Women Sleuths. They even had a section dedicated to the subject of cheese. Scribd also displays a greater number of titles under each section. But this also made it a little overwhelming, and the app felt more sluggish than Oyster.

You can, of course, search for a book by title, author or keyword. I had a bit more success with Scribd in finding some of the books on my reading list, such as “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Craft Rubin. This is one I’ve been debating about buying for a while, and the nice thing about Scribd and Oyster is that it makes that decision easier, since you’re not paying for each individual book.

Once you’ve selected a book, you can add it to your media library, store it on your device for offline reading (up to 10 books), or read it immediately. There are options to change the size and style of font and background color, and you can turn pages by either swiping right to left, or tapping once on the screen. Scribd also offers social features, where you can follow people and share what you’re reading via email, Twitter or Facebook.

Like Netflix has done for movies and TV shows, Scribd and Oyster provide readers with all-you-can-eat access to books for less than the price of most novels. Both services still need to expand their libraries, but each offers a free-month trial, and I’d say they’re worth a try.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131031/new-e-book-services-borrow-a-page-from-netflix/feed/0Ion Air Pro 3 Adds New Image Sensor, Swims Deeperhttp://allthingsd.com/20131030/ion-air-pro-3-adds-new-image-sensor-swims-deeper/
http://allthingsd.com/20131030/ion-air-pro-3-adds-new-image-sensor-swims-deeper/#commentsWed, 30 Oct 2013 14:55:39 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=369305Since launching nearly a year and a half ago, action-camera maker Ion has been pumping out a new model about every six months, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Today, the company announced its third-generation camera, the Ion Air Pro 3 Wi-Fi. It will be available in early November for $350.

New to the camera is a 12-megapixel sensor that allows you to capture 1080p video at 60 frames per second; the previous model could only shoot 1080p video at 30fps. The Air Pro 3 also utilizes a new fog-free lens with improved light transmission and 160-degree viewing angles.

In terms of design, the camera looks largely the same as the Air Pro 2, but the casing is now waterproof in up to 49 feet of water (up from 30 feet) and features a metal tripod screw mount instead of a plastic one.

One of the advantages of Ion’s cameras is that you don’t need a separate case to bring it with you in the water, and its unique pod system allows you to add different functionality to the camera without any cumbersome accessories.

Ion faces stiff competition from market leader GoPro, which just released its latest Hero 3+ camera in September. Sony, JVC and Garmin all have action cameras, as well.

Ion CEO Giovanni Tomaselli said the company has about 3.5 percent of the market share right now, but it’s not all about numbers for them.

“All we’re looking for is for people to just appreciate what we’re creating,” said Tomaselli in an interview. “Here’s something that’s best in class, and that’s what it’s all about in the end. We do that, and we can get that recognition, the rest will come.”

Going forward, Tomaselli said the company will focus on improving optics, connectivity and mounting systems. Ion is also working to make its cameras available through larger retailers, like Best Buy.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131030/ion-air-pro-3-adds-new-image-sensor-swims-deeper/feed/0Lenovo Launches Yoga Tablet With Multiple Modes and a Side of Ashton Kutcherhttp://allthingsd.com/20131029/lenovo-launches-yoga-tablet-with-multiple-modes-and-a-side-of-ashton-kutcher/
http://allthingsd.com/20131029/lenovo-launches-yoga-tablet-with-multiple-modes-and-a-side-of-ashton-kutcher/#commentsWed, 30 Oct 2013 02:30:53 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=369018Ashton Kutcher is back, pushing another tech product. But it’s not a Nikon camera or a Steve Jobs movie. Rather, it’s a new tablet from Lenovo.

The actor joined Lenovo onstage at a Wednesday night event in Los Angeles to unveil the Yoga Tablet. The Android Jelly Bean (4.2) device comes in eight-inch and 10-inch models, and will be available Thursday for $249 and $299, respectively.

Lenovo said that it wanted to design the Yoga Tablet to stand out from the “sea of sameness,” referring to the fact that all tablets look pretty much alike. As a result, it features a cylindrical handle that allows you to use the tablet in several different modes — a concept Lenovo borrowed from its line of Yoga convertible laptops.

In “hold” mode, you can simply grip the handle for a more comfortable experience when reading e-books and messages. Rotating the cylinder 90 degrees will expose a stand, so you can prop the tablet on a desk for watching movies or video chats. Finally, you can lay the device down with the stand out to angle the screen for easier typing and viewing.

One other benefit to the cylindrical handle, said Lenovo, is that it allowed a larger battery. The Yoga Tablet is powered by dual batteries, similar in power to those used in laptops; Lenovo estimates battery life to be around 18 hours in reading mode.

Both sizes of the Yoga Tablet have 1,280 by 800-pixel touchscreens, quad-core processors from MediaTek, and 16 gigabytes of internal memory with microSD expansion options. There’s also a five-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing 1.6-megapixel camera.

The eight-inch Yoga Tablet will be sold exclusively at Best Buy, and directly from Lenovo. The 10-inch model will be available at Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg and Lenovo.

As for Kutcher’s part, not only will he be helping market the devices, he’s also been named a “product engineer” at Lenovo. In his role, Kutcher, who studied engineering at the University of Iowa and has invested in several startups, will provide input on the design, software and specs of the company’s future products.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131029/lenovo-launches-yoga-tablet-with-multiple-modes-and-a-side-of-ashton-kutcher/feed/0Add Hiku to the Shopping List of Shopping-List Appshttp://allthingsd.com/20131024/hiku-cooks-up-simple-shopping-list-creation-but-not-ready-for-mass-consumption-yet/
http://allthingsd.com/20131024/hiku-cooks-up-simple-shopping-list-creation-but-not-ready-for-mass-consumption-yet/#commentsThu, 24 Oct 2013 13:00:55 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=367841How many times have you gone to the grocery store, only to get home and realize you forgot something? If you’re anything like me, a string of expletives follows, and then you either trudge back to the store in defeat, or you do without said item. You didn’t need that pint of ice cream anyway, right?

Of course, you could make your life easy by bringing a list with you, and there’s no shortage of shopping-list apps these days. There’s always pen and paper, too. A company called Hiku Labs wants to make the task even easier by eliminating the need to write or type anything.

Next week, the San Jose, Calif.-based startup will begin shipping its first product, simply dubbed Hiku. It consists of a small disc that contains a commercial-grade scanner, a microphone and Wi-Fi, and an accompanying mobile app. The idea is that whenever you’re running low on an item or need to get something, you just use Hiku to scan the bar code on the package at home, or record a voice memo, and it’s automatically added to your digital shopping list on the app.

Hiku Labs says the advantage of its product is that it’s faster than using an app or pen and paper, and that even a 5-year-old can use it. After testing it for a few days, I agree that it’s simple, and works pretty well. But I’m not convinced that it’s worth spending $79.

There are apps like Grocery IQ and Out of Milk that provide similar functionality using your smartphone’s camera or microphone. Perhaps more important, they’re free or cost just a few bucks, and in some cases include coupons.

Hiku Labs notes that it will continually update the product with new features and improvements. For example, an Android app is planned for the future, and the company is working with retail partners to add the ability to buy products online right from your phone. So, there’s potential for Hiku to be more useful. But, as it is right now, I don’t see a compelling reason to pick Hiku over one of the similarly featured apps.

Hiku’s design is elegant and simple. The small puck only has one button, and it has a magnetic back, so you can stick it on your refrigerator for safekeeping and easy access. It’s also water-resistant and feels like it can withstand a fall or two. The company says the rechargeable battery can last about two months with normal use. In order to communicate with the app, Hiku needs to be connected to a wireless network, but set-up is pretty painless.

To scan bar codes, you just have to press and hold the large silver button. But, in trying to keep things simple, the company made Hiku almost too minimalist. When scanning items, the device plays a different tone, depending on whether or not it was able to add an item to your list. For example, the beep sounds upbeat when successfully adding an item to your list, and downbeat when it didn’t understand a voice memo. There’s another pattern when it’s unable to recognize a bar code.

It’s pretty easy to distinguish between the beeps, once you’ve heard them all (they’re also spelled out in the quick-start guide). But Hiku could benefit from having a small LED somewhere on the surface of the device to notify you to different alerts. There is an LED next to the scanner that blinks different colors depending on the Hiku’s status (asleep, ready, etc.), but you can’t see it when scanning bar codes.

One of the company’s arguments for using Hiku is that it’s faster than finding your smartphone and opening an app. But that works on the premise that you’ll put it back on the fridge or in the same place every time. I know that, when life gets hectic, I can get absentminded, and I forget where I put things. In fact, I misplaced Hiku once during my testing, as I was running around doing several things at once. (It was in my sweatshirt pocket.)

Creating shopping lists was relatively easy. Hiku was able to scan most bar codes quickly, but there were a few times that I had to rescan because the sensor was too far or too close to the label.

As a quick comparison, I downloaded Grocery IQ, which uses a phone’s camera to read bar codes. While Hiku was slightly faster at scanning most items, there were also a handful of products that Hiku didn’t recognize, like Jif peanut butter and Dole orange juice, whereas Grocery IQ did. Hiku currently knows about 10 million bar codes, and the company admits that there are going to be products it won’t recognize, particularly from private labels.

In those cases, you can hold down the button and record items using your voice. When doing so, the system is smart in that it will associate the product name with that bar code for future reference. This information isn’t only available to you, but to the entire Hiku community, so the more people who use it and add products, the bigger its database will get.

I found the voice-recognition system to be pretty good. It accurately transcribed words like “bananas,” “roasted coconut chips” and even “quinoa.” But I had to go back and fix some items, like “acai” and “Sriracha sauce.” To be fair, those are pretty tough words.

The Hiku app is relatively straightforward. To cross items off your list, you just swipe right to left on the screen. You can mark products as favorites — or “Regulars” as Hiku calls them — so you can quickly add them the next time. Hiku can also organize items by “Aisles” or categories. Currently, the app does this for more than 1,500 common items, but I had a lot of specific products that I needed to manually drag and drop into categories. As with unrecognized bar codes, though, Hiku will remember your preferences in the future.

Hiku makes creating shopping lists easy and fast. But like a lot of first-generation products, it could use a bit of fine-tuning. Some new features, like direct online shopping, may make it worth the extra cost. Until then, you might want to hold off.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131024/hiku-cooks-up-simple-shopping-list-creation-but-not-ready-for-mass-consumption-yet/feed/0TiVo Begins Rolling Out Update for Out-of-Home Streaminghttp://allthingsd.com/20131024/tivo-begins-rolling-out-update-for-out-of-home-streaming/
http://allthingsd.com/20131024/tivo-begins-rolling-out-update-for-out-of-home-streaming/#commentsThu, 24 Oct 2013 11:01:08 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=367974Today, TiVo announced the launch of out-of-home streaming for its Roamio Pro and Roamio Plus DVRs. The feature, which allows subscribers to watch live and recorded shows remotely over a Wi-Fi connection, is being rolled out through an automatic software and iOS app update. TiVo Stream users will receive the update in a couple of weeks; an Android app and streaming over 4G LTE are still planned for early next year. For more on TiVo Roamio and out-of-home streaming, check out Walt Mossberg’s full review.
]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131024/tivo-begins-rolling-out-update-for-out-of-home-streaming/feed/0T-Mobile’s Next Act: 200MB Free Data Monthly for Tablets, Plus Trade-In Programhttp://allthingsd.com/20131023/t-mobiles-next-act-200mb-free-data-monthly-for-tablets-plus-trade-in-program/
http://allthingsd.com/20131023/t-mobiles-next-act-200mb-free-data-monthly-for-tablets-plus-trade-in-program/#commentsWed, 23 Oct 2013 18:18:36 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=367789In its latest move to be the “Uncarrier,” T-Mobile today announced new plans for tablets that include a free monthly allotment of 4G LTE data for the life of the product, and the option to purchase a new device in monthly installments with no money down, including the iPad Air and Nexus 7.

Calling it “Tablets Un-leashed,” the company said that customers who buy a tablet through T-Mobile will receive 200 megabytes of free 4G LTE data every month for as long as they own the tablet. The program is open to anyone with a T-Mobile-compatible tablet, even if you’re not a T-Mobile customer.

But, unlike its smartphone plans where the carrier slows down data speeds once you’ve hit your limit, the data connection will be cut off on tablets if you blow through the 200MB before the end of the month.

T-Mobile said that once that happens, a screen will pop up asking you if you’d like to purchase one of T-Mobile’s daily, weekly or monthly passes, or you can continue to use the tablet over Wi-Fi and wait till the next month for the data to kick in again. Pricing starts at $5 for a daily pass for 500MB of 4G LTE data, and $10 for a weekly pass of one gigabyte of 4G LTE data. Those with a T-Mobile voice plan have the option of 500MB of 4G data for $10 a month.

During a conference call, T-Mobile CEO John Legere noted that about 90 percent of consumers are using tablets over Wi-Fi and that’s largely due to the high prices of current data plans.

“We believe it’s time that tablets operated the same way that smartphones do, and should be connected all the time,” said Legere. “We’ve been waiting for a while to get in this game and stop this silliness of restricted and unclear data plans offered by the other carriers.”

To help entice customers, T-Mobile is offering a number of its tablets for $0 upfront, with the cost of the device spread out over two years. With this offer, a customer can buy the new iPad Air (16GB) for 24 equal monthly payments of $26.25, while the iPad mini with Retina display costs $22.07 per month over two years. The Google Nexus 7 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 are some of the other tablets being offered in this introductory deal.

T-Mobile didn’t say how long this deal would last, but hinted that it would continue to offer some of its tablets for $0 upfront.

Finally, T-Mobile also announced a new trade-in program under which anyone can bring in a tablet in working condition to receive a discount on a new device.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131023/t-mobiles-next-act-200mb-free-data-monthly-for-tablets-plus-trade-in-program/feed/0iLife, iWork Get Refreshed for OS X Mavericks and iOS, Free With Purchase of New Devicehttp://allthingsd.com/20131022/ilife-iwork-gets-refreshed-for-os-x-mavericks-and-ios/
http://allthingsd.com/20131022/ilife-iwork-gets-refreshed-for-os-x-mavericks-and-ios/#commentsTue, 22 Oct 2013 18:14:30 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=367427When Apple said it had a lot to cover today, they were not kidding. In addition to unveiling a new iPad mini and releasing Mavericks as a free update, among other things, the company also revealed new versions of iLife and iWork for its desktop and mobile operating systems.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet software and services, took to the stage today to introduce the refreshed iLife and iWorks apps, saying, “This is the biggest day for apps in Apple’s history.”

All apps have been redesigned to take advantage of OS X Mavericks and iOS 7, and have been updated to 64-bit and integrated with iCloud. The new software will be free with the purchase of any new Mac or iOS device.

ILife, iPhoto, iMovie and Garage Band now offer a simpler and cleaner design. Of the apps, Garage Band received the biggest update. Garage Band for iOS now supports 16 tracks (up from eight). If you have an iPhone 5s or a new iPad, that number jumps up to 32. You can also share songs via AirDrop or work on tracks on multiple devices via iCloud. On the desktop version, a new feature called Drummer adds a variety of drummers that can play along with your songs.

In iPhoto, you can now create photobooks on your mobile device and then have a hard copy shipped to you from Apple. Meanwhile, a feature in iMovie called Movie Theater allows you to watch your iMovie clips across multiple devices as long as they’re stored in the cloud. On the mobile side, you also get picture-in-picture and split-screen options, the ability to speed up or slow down clips and other editing tools.

On the productivity side, the new iWork, which includes Keynote, Pages and Numbers, brings full file compatibility and the ability to collaborate with others via iCloud — a move that puts Apple closer in step with Google and Microsoft in this area.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131022/ilife-iwork-gets-refreshed-for-os-x-mavericks-and-ios/feed/0Nokia Shows Off Windows Tablet, Looks to Differentiate Lumia 2520 With Connectivity, Designhttp://allthingsd.com/20131022/nokia-unveils-first-windows-tablet-looks-to-differentiate-lumia-2520-with-connectivity-design/
http://allthingsd.com/20131022/nokia-unveils-first-windows-tablet-looks-to-differentiate-lumia-2520-with-connectivity-design/#commentsTue, 22 Oct 2013 08:00:55 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=367067While it’s no secret that Nokia has been working on a tablet, the company has taken its time bringing one to market, saying that it didn’t want to release anything until it could offer something different from its competitors. Well, today, we got a glimpse of that product and at first glance, it’s not all that unique.

Introduced at a special event in Abu Dhabi, alongside the Lumia 1520 and 1320 and a trio of new Asha phones, the Lumia 2520 is Nokia’s first Windows tablet. It runs Windows 8.1 RT and has a 10.1-inch full HD (1080p) touchscreen. On back, there’s a 6.7-megapixel camera and a front-facing two-megapixel camera for video calls — all pretty standard stuff so far. But one of the things that sets the tablet apart from others, Nokia said, is connectivity.

“When we were looking to create a tablet, one of the things we looked at was how people use tablets, and we found that 80 percent of consumers use them in the home,” said Ifi Majid, Nokia’s head of product marketing for North America, in an interview with AllThingsD. “We thought there was an opportunity to differentiate and change that, so we wanted to make a connected device that can also be used outside of the home.”

As a result, the Lumia 2520 comes with both Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity. There will be no Wi-Fi-only model. With the added radio, battery life could be a concern, but Nokia claims the tablet can offer eight to 10 hours of battery life. This is, in part, due to the Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, which also allows for faster charging. You can get about a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes and about 80 percent in an hour. Nokia also plans to sell a keyboard cover that provides an additional five hours of battery life.

Nokia pointed to the Lumia 2520’s design as another differentiator. It features a unibody design and comes in red, white, black and cyan. The company also touts that the tablet’s screen offers better outdoor readability than the iPad or Surface.

Admittedly, the Lumia 2520 is a good-looking device, but it’s hard to argue that the tablet offers anything game changing or dramatically different from the competition. It’s a Windows RT tablet with LTE.

There’s also the issue that consumers have not taken to Windows RT. In July, Microsoft permanently reduced the price of the Surface RT, which resulted in a $900 million write-down for the company. Meanwhile, other device manufactures like Dell and Asus have abandoned Windows RT tablets altogether.

But Nokia argues that Windows 8.1 addresses some of the criticisms of Windows RT, and not surprisingly, points to some of its own software as selling points. There’s an onboard video editor, and Nokia worked in collaboration with DreamWorks to come up with an exclusive Dragons Adventure game based on the film “How to Train Your Dragon” for the tablet.

“We need to bring good reasons for people to take on a big-screen device, and the reasons that we’re thinking of are our differentiators and Microsoft’s assets,” said Majid. “When you see Office, you can do more on there. When you see entertainment, like Xbox and Nokia Music, you can play more on there and we think that’s really compelling to consumers.”

Whether that’s true or not remains to be seen. The Lumia 2520 will have much competition this holiday shopping season. Microsoft’s Surface 2 goes on sale today, and Apple is expected to announce new iPads at its event later today.

The Lumia 2520 is expected to be available in time for the holidays for an unsubsidized price of $499. AT&T has already committed to carrying the tablet, but no word yet on other carrier partners.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131022/nokia-unveils-first-windows-tablet-looks-to-differentiate-lumia-2520-with-connectivity-design/feed/0Nokia Unveils Lumia 1520, 1320 Phablets; Instagram Finally Coming to Windows Phonehttp://allthingsd.com/20131022/nokia-unveils-lumia-1520-1320-phablets-instagram-finally-coming-to-windows-phone/
http://allthingsd.com/20131022/nokia-unveils-lumia-1520-1320-phablets-instagram-finally-coming-to-windows-phone/#commentsTue, 22 Oct 2013 08:00:55 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=367118Nokia is all about the big screens today. It announced its first Windows tablet, and now, we have the first Windows Phone phablets.

At its Nokia World event in Abu Dhabi today, the Finnish phone maker showed off the Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1320. Both feature six-inch touchscreens and ship with the latest Windows Phone update, which adds support for large, high-resolution displays, quad core chips and adds another column of tiles, among other things. Both gargantuan phones are expected to ship by the holiday season, but they’re intended for two different audiences.

Nokia Lumia 1520

The Nokia Lumia 1520 was designed as a top-tier flagship device and comes with a corresponding price tag of $749 unlocked. AT&T has already said it will offer the smartphone later this year, but the carrier did not announce pricing at this time.

The Lumia 1520 has a six-inch full HD touchscreen, and is powered by Qualcomm’s quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. It’s also packing a 20-megapixel PureView camera with advanced features, including a first for Nokia’s cameraphones. The Lumia 1520 will be the first model to ship with a refocus lens feature that allows you to refocus an image after you’ve taken it, much like the Lytro camera. The feature works by taking multiple shots of the same image and then layering them together, so you can tap on different points of the photo to bring that part into focus.

Another new app called Nokia Storyteller will group images in your photo gallery by chronological order and location and can overlay them on Nokia’s Here map application.

Other features of the Lumia 1520 include wireless charging capabilities, 4G LTE support and 32 gigabytes of internal storage with a microSD expansion slot.

Meanwhile, the Lumia 1320 is aimed at bringing the big-screen experience at a more affordable price. It will most likely be sold in emerging markets where people are looking to buy devices that offer a tablet-like experience but without the costs attached to one. Unsubsidized pricing for the phone is $339.

The biggest differences between the two devices are the screen resolution and camera. The Lumia 1320 has a six-inch 720p HD touchscreen (versus 1080p), and it has a five-megapixel camera. The Snapdragon processor also drops from a quad-core to a dual-core chipset.

While both devices are relatively thin, they are still large phones — the kind that look ridiculous when held up to your face during a phone call (a la Samsung Galaxy Mega). But for Nokia, the jump in screen size was a necessary and calculated move.

“We have 4.5-inch devices, and they have big screens on them, so if you want to make a step change from a portfolio perspective, it can’t be five inches. It’s got to be higher,” said Ifi Majid, head of product marketing for Nokia North America. “And in our research, six inches is the maximum display size where you can actively, comfortably use it in one hand.”

Nokia Asha 503

Beyond the devices themselves, Nokia also spent part of the event revealing a host of new apps available for the Windows Phone platform, including the long-awaited photo-sharing app, Instagram. It’s not out yet, but the companies say that it will be available in the coming weeks.

“Our ultimate goal is to bring Instagram to everyone who wants to use it,” said Kevin Systrom, CEO and co-founder of Instagram, in a statement. “We’re looking forward to watching the Windows Phone community use Instagram to capture and share beautiful moments in the coming weeks.”

Vine, EA Sports FIFA 14, Temple Run 2 and Xbox Video are among some of the other upcoming apps.

Finally, Nokia also introduced three new models to its Asha range of low-end feature phones: The Asha 500, 502 and 503. They will retail for $69, $89 and $99 respectively, and feature new designs, easier camera access and new apps like WhatsApp. The 503 is also the first 3G phone for the Asha line.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131022/nokia-unveils-lumia-1520-1320-phablets-instagram-finally-coming-to-windows-phone/feed/0Happy Hours to Dinner Dates: Apps That Aim to Simplify Event Planninghttp://allthingsd.com/20131017/happy-hours-to-dinner-dates-apps-that-aim-to-simplify-event-planning/
http://allthingsd.com/20131017/happy-hours-to-dinner-dates-apps-that-aim-to-simplify-event-planning/#commentsThu, 17 Oct 2013 13:00:20 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=366152It all starts with the best of intentions. You want to get some friends together for dinner, or grab drinks with a few colleagues after work, so you send out an invitation via email or group text message. Then things spiral out of control, as people message back and forth about where to go, and what time to meet. Pretty soon you’re entangled in an endless chain of messages that makes you wonder, “What have I done?” But planning events doesn’t have to feel like you’re herding cats.

WePopp and Rundavoo are two mobile apps that aim to make the task of event planning a little more organized. Both are free, and allow you to create events right from your smartphone, and then send out invites where people can vote on details, suggest alternatives and exchange messages all in one place. After everything is finalized, you can lock it down and add it to your calendar.

After using WePopp and Rundavoo to plan various events over the past few days, I wouldn’t recommend either app if you’re just trying to get together with one person. Email or phone is better for that. And if you already have an event with a set venue, date and time, I don’t see any advantage to using WePopp or Rundavoo over something like Evite or Facebook events.

Instead, these two apps are useful for more impromptu gatherings and activities that involve larger groups of people. The voting feature in both of these apps is particularly useful for getting input and nailing down details. But they both have their flaws.

For example, WePopp’s text notifications can get annoying. Meanwhile, Rundavoo crashed on me a few times, and its interface can be confusing. Of the two, I’d recommend WePopp, because it’s easier to use and doesn’t require your invitees to download the app or sign up for an account, though if you don’t sign up you won’t get access to all the features.

WePopp is currently only available for iOS devices, but an Android version is coming soon. I downloaded it to my iPhone 5, and the interface is basic and intuitive. Everyone who I sent an invitation to using both apps preferred WePopp’s interface because it was simple and easy to understand.

To start planning an event, just slide the “Create a Popp” button, and it will take you to a screen where you can choose from a variety of preset invitations: Meal, Drink, Party, Movie, Sport, Weekend or Other. WePopp will then ask you to enter a date, name and description for the event, time, place and invitee list.

You can enter more than one suggestion for each section, so people can vote for their favorite option. I created one for a happy hour, and listed three different locations. It was nice to see at a glance which place had the most votes. I’ve done this before over email, and usually, I have to search through messages to tally people’s responses.

One thing to note: The “Invite friends” section currently sits at the top of the page, above date, time and place, and when I first started using the app, I automatically started filling this section out first. But, after pressing the “check” button, it sent out invites, even though I had yet to fill out the time and place. I think it would be better to put the invite link at the bottom of the page; the company said they are looking to change that in the next version.

Invites can be sent via Facebook or text message. But WePopp can get overzealous with texts. When an invite goes out, your recipients get two messages: One saying that an invitation is on the way, and another with the link. It would be nice if WePopp consolidated that into one message.

Also, when I received a WePopp invite from a friend, it came via text message, even though I had the app. I’d prefer to be alerted via push notification; the company said they’re working to add that in the future.

The good thing about WePopp is that your friends don’t need an account or the app to respond to invites. Instead, they can simply click on the invitation link to open up a mobile site and tap the buttons to RSVP and vote for their favorite choices. Without an account, though, you can’t make other suggestions, and you won’t receive notifications if someone posts a message to the group chat section.

Once everything is decided, you can finalize plans (another text is sent to invitees), and WePopp even gives you the option to add it to your calendar.

Rundavoo works similarly to WePopp. The app is iOS-only for now, but you can also send and respond to invites using Rundavoo’s website. An Android app is planned for the new year.

I found Rundavoo’s interface to be prettier, but it’s slightly more complicated. To start, you can choose from preset invites or create your own. You’ll then be asked to fill in the what, when and where. I like that Rundavoo uses your phone’s location services to populate search results for places (WePopp also does this), and then pulls in images of the business to use in the invite. It also integrates with Foursquare and Yelp.

Like WePopp, you can enter multiple suggestions for people to vote on. But, by default, Rundavoo locks down the venue, date and time, so you have to press the little lock icon to add other suggestions. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s an extra step I’d rather not have to deal with.

Invites can be sent via text or email, but if you send via text, your friends will need to sign up for an account to respond. If sent by email, users can simply click on the links to RSVP, but if they want to add any suggestions, they will need an account. Most of my friends were not thrilled about this, but they did it for me (such good friends, they are). Even then, they said they found the interface confusing.

On the organizer’s side, votes were clearly displayed, but I never received notifications when people RSVPed, even after double-checking my iPhone’s notifications settings. More annoying was the fact that Rundavoo crashed on me multiple times, often when I was in the middle of creating an invitation. But Rundavoo told me they are working on a number of improvements, including the ability to respond via text without an account.

Trying to plan an outing with friends shouldn’t be a frustrating experience, and WePopp and Rundavoo offer an alternative to the back and forth of planning events over email. For now, you’ll get a simpler and more stable experience with WePopp.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131017/happy-hours-to-dinner-dates-apps-that-aim-to-simplify-event-planning/feed/0Acer Unveils Iconia W4 With Windows 8.1, Faster Processorhttp://allthingsd.com/20131017/acer-unveils-iconia-w4-with-windows-8-1-faster-processor/
http://allthingsd.com/20131017/acer-unveils-iconia-w4-with-windows-8-1-faster-processor/#commentsThu, 17 Oct 2013 11:00:38 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=366276This morning, Microsoft began rolling out Windows 8.1, the first major update to its Windows 8 operating system that was released last year. It’s available as an optional free download to current users. But, of course, device manufacturers are also using it as opportunity to trot out new hardware.

Joining Lenovo, Dell and others, Acer today introduced the Iconia W4, an eight-inch tablet running Windows 8.1. The tablet will start shipping in the U.S. this month, and comes in two versions: A 32 gigabyte model for $330, and a 64GB model for $380.

At first glance, the tablet doesn’t look all that different from the Iconia W3, which was released just a few months ago. But the company has made a few changes under the hood that hopefully address some of the issues affecting the Iconia W3, which my colleague Walt Mossberg called a flawed device.

So, what’s different? Well, for starters, the 1,280 by 800 touchscreen now offers wider viewing angles (170 degrees) and features technology that helps improve the screen’s readability in sunlight. The tablet is also equipped with a faster fourth-generation Intel Atom processor. And it’s slightly lighter, at .91 pound versus 1.1 pounds.

The addition of Windows 8.1 also brings a number of enhancements and tweaks aimed at addressing some of the early criticism of Windows 8. This includes the return of the Start button, smarter search and better multitasking.

Along with the tablet, Acer will offer a number of accessories for the Iconia W4. There’s a protective case for $35, one that doubles as a stand for $40, and a keyboard case for $80.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131017/acer-unveils-iconia-w4-with-windows-8-1-faster-processor/feed/0Sony's Latest Xperia Phones, SmartWatch 2 Launch in U.S.; No Carrier Announcements Yethttp://allthingsd.com/20131015/sonys-latest-xperia-phones-smartwatch-2-launch-in-u-s-no-carrier-announcements-yet/
http://allthingsd.com/20131015/sonys-latest-xperia-phones-smartwatch-2-launch-in-u-s-no-carrier-announcements-yet/#commentsTue, 15 Oct 2013 13:00:11 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=365505After making the rounds in Europe and Asia, Sony announced today the U.S. availability of its Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1 smartphones, and the SmartWatch 2. But a word of caution: If you’re eyeing one of these phones, it’s going to cost you.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra

Introduced earlier this summer at the Mobile Asia Expo, the Xperia Z Ultra is the company’s latest Android phablet, and features a 6.4-inch HD touchscreen and handwriting-recognition software, so you can take notes using a stylus (not included). It’s also waterproof in up to five feet of water for up to 30 minutes, and has a quad-core processor from Qualcomm.

But, without the backing of a U.S. carrier, the 3G version of the Xperia Z Ultra costs $650, and the LTE version goes for $680. Both will work with AT&T or T-Mobile SIM cards.

The Xperia Z1’s hallmark feature is its 20.7-megapixel camera. It’s also waterproof and has a quad-core processor, but has a smaller (compared to the Xperia Z Ultra, that is) five-inch HD touchscreen.

Sony is only selling an HSPA+ version of the Xperia Z1, which costs $670, but there is the potential for a subsidized model.

Though Sony wouldn’t comment about possible carrier partners today, the Z1 is rumored to be headed to T-Mobile, which isn’t too far-fetched an idea. Evleaks, which has a good track record of scoping out upcoming devices before they’re announced, posted this image of a T-Mobile-branded Xperia Z1 a few days ago. Also, Sony’s previous flagship device, the Xperia Z, was a T-Mobile exclusive.

The $200 SmartWatch 2 improves on its predecessor by including a larger screen, NFC technology for one-tap pairing with compatible devices, longer battery life and other enhancements. It remains to be seen whether the company has fixed some of the interface and usability issues that plagued the previous model.

All three products are available now from Sony’s online store, at select Sony retail stores, and at other electronic retailers, like NewEgg.

Though Sony’s presence in the U.S. mobile market remains small, its recent handsets have helped the company regain some ground. In August, Sony reported a $35 million profit during its first-quarter earnings, and attributed part of its turnaround to smartphone sales. In that first quarter, Sony sold 9.6 million smartphones — up from 7.4 million from the previous year.

]]>http://allthingsd.com/20131015/sonys-latest-xperia-phones-smartwatch-2-launch-in-u-s-no-carrier-announcements-yet/feed/0Tablet-Optimized Twitter Android App Now Available, Limited at First to Samsung Deviceshttp://allthingsd.com/20131010/tablet-optimized-twitter-android-app-now-available-limited-at-first-to-samsung-devices/
http://allthingsd.com/20131010/tablet-optimized-twitter-android-app-now-available-limited-at-first-to-samsung-devices/#commentsThu, 10 Oct 2013 18:59:53 +0000http://allthingsd.com/?p=364679Today, Twitter launched a new version of its mobile app optimized specifically for Android tablets. Twitter for Android Tablets now takes full advantage of a tablet’s larger screen to display tweets, conversations and more in full landscape view. The app will only be available for Samsung devices at first, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition. Support for other Samsung tablets will come soon, and the app will be available to other Android tablets by the end of the year.
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